Paul_f
25-09-2006, 08:30 AM
In the 24 September Financial Mail edition of The Mail on Sunday there was a very interesting letter to Tony Hetherington from a brother and sister who used APS Estate Agents of Halifax to let their property. According to Hetherington, the agent collected rent arrears but failed to pass it on to the landlords, and have now closed their office. It appears though that APS still has an office in Finkle Street, Selby
The landlords obtained judgement in the county court for £1,500 but APS has not paid. Apparently APS is connected to the trading name of Brayton Estates Ltd which was run by brother & sister Mark & Emma Wilkie.
Brayton collapsed running up massive debts and is now in the hands of a Leeds firm of Insolvency Practitioners. Apparently rents were not paid into a separate clients account but mixed in with the firm's own monies and spent by its bosses. After the firm went bust their father Ian Wilkie brought back the business name. Most of the 13 APS branches were closed. Others are now run by a new company Greener Holdings Ltd whose bosses are now Emma Wilkie and another son Alastair Wilkie.
There are other trading names also using APS in various formats which also appear to have gone into liquidation.
If you (as landlord) are renting any properties through any of the surviving offices of APS then you might be a little concerned. Hetherington states their website at www.askaps.co.uk still advertises "Letting your property couldn't be easier with APS".
Hetherington concludes that landlords, homebuyers and sellers should chose an agent who belongs to the NAEA. APS in their various guises do not appear to belong to any regulatory body.
'Nuff said?
The landlords obtained judgement in the county court for £1,500 but APS has not paid. Apparently APS is connected to the trading name of Brayton Estates Ltd which was run by brother & sister Mark & Emma Wilkie.
Brayton collapsed running up massive debts and is now in the hands of a Leeds firm of Insolvency Practitioners. Apparently rents were not paid into a separate clients account but mixed in with the firm's own monies and spent by its bosses. After the firm went bust their father Ian Wilkie brought back the business name. Most of the 13 APS branches were closed. Others are now run by a new company Greener Holdings Ltd whose bosses are now Emma Wilkie and another son Alastair Wilkie.
There are other trading names also using APS in various formats which also appear to have gone into liquidation.
If you (as landlord) are renting any properties through any of the surviving offices of APS then you might be a little concerned. Hetherington states their website at www.askaps.co.uk still advertises "Letting your property couldn't be easier with APS".
Hetherington concludes that landlords, homebuyers and sellers should chose an agent who belongs to the NAEA. APS in their various guises do not appear to belong to any regulatory body.
'Nuff said?